The Weird Week ending December 14

Blitzen Held Hostage

Someone has stolen a decorative reindeer from outside florist Christine Small's shop in England, and left a ransom note demanding Â£56.60 for Blitzen's return! A threatening phone call followed. A taxi driver returned the reindeer a few hours later, saying he had found it, but it was stolen again within minutes. Police are looking into the matter.

Glow-in-the-Dark Kitties

South Korean scientists have produced cloned cats that produce RFP (Red Fluorescent Protein). The two Turkish Angoras glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet rays. This should make walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night a bit easier.

Man Drinks Two Pints of Vodka at Airport

A 64-year-old man trying to avoid airport security regulations banning liquids was told he would have to pay a fee to ship his vodka or throw it out. Instead, he quickly drank the quart he was bringing home from vacation! He was taken to a clinic to be treated for alcohol poisoning, and is expected to go home in a few days.

Coming Soon: Spider Web Clothing

Researchers in Tokyo have injected spider genes into silkworms so they will spin cocoons made of spider web. The strong material produced may replace nylon as well as silk in clothing and other items.

Dutch Plan to Build Tulip-Shaped Island

The government of The Netherlands is considering a barrier island to fight overcrowding and hold back the rising sea. The tulip shape is one proposed design that may give mapmakers fits.

Teacher Calls Police Over Guns"˜N'Roses Song

A teenage school custodian and two friends were playing around with the school's public address system, thinking they were alone in the building. A teacher working after hours heard the custodian singing "Welcome to the Jungle", which contains the line, "You're gonna die." She felt threatened, barricaded herself in a room, and called the police. Officers found the three teenagers and straightened the story out. As a state policeman said, "These things happen."

Cat Comes Home with Snake Around Neck

Reptile Rescue workers in New Zealand were called to unwind the deadly copperhead from Jelly's neck. After veterinary treatment, he is expected to recover from a bite and is anxious to resume the eight lives he has left.

Space Shuttle Atlantis Attacked by Giant Spider

The videotape from NASA clearly shows the arachnid approaching and overpowering the shuttle as it sits on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The next launch of the Atlantis has been postponed until February.

Miss Cellania has written for mental_floss since 2007. She is also the managing editor at Neatorama and keeps a small humor blog called Miss Cellania. In her spare time, she is raising a frightening number of children in a small Kentucky town.